86 Mr. Breeds * Birds of Europe 



yet had opportunities of observing the peculiarities of each bird 

 of prey in a manner not possessed by us. To suppose that 

 they did not apply in the closet what they learned in the field, 

 would be to deny them common sense. Hence they are still to 

 be regarded as good authorities on these points ; and there can 

 be no manner of doubt that all the species of Falco described 

 by Linnaeus and his contemporaries were founded not more on 

 any diagnoses of their own than upon the traditions of fal- 

 coners. The truth of this, every day's experience tends to con- 

 firm. At the present time, indeed, many people have but a 

 faint idea of what a Gyrfalcon is * ; but we beg to assure our 

 readers that the difierent words " Gyrfalco," " Gyrfalcon/' 

 " Gerfaut," and " Geierfalke," should never be applied to any 

 but the great falcon of Scandinavia ; and we repeat that the 

 calling this bird F. gyrfalco norvegicus signifies that there is 

 a F. gyrfalco from some other country, which is putting upon 

 the name of old writers a meaning it will not bear. 



That the true Gyrfalcon has occurred in this country, we 

 certainly think probable ; but it must be borne in mind that 

 nearly all the large northern falcons killed here are young birds 

 of the yeai', and that it is not easy, though, we think, always 

 possible, to detect the Icelander from the Gyrfalcon when imma- 

 ture. With all due deference to Mr. Gurney's opinion as 

 quoted by Mr. Bree, we believe that the late Mr. Charles St. 

 John was right in calling the bird killed in Ross-shire in 1851, 

 which has since passed into Mr. Gurney's possession, an " Ice- 

 land Falcon." 



We are further much indebted to Mr. Bree for keeping 

 distinct the long-confounded Saker and Lanner (F. sacer, Gm. 

 and F. lanarius, Schl.). The latter bird has a good claim to be 

 included in the British list; for Lewin's figure (Br. Birds, i. 1. 17) 

 seems referable only to this species, and the subject of it was 



* We lately found, in a somewhat celebrated museum in this island, 

 until a few years since presided over by a naturalist whose memory is 

 still dear to his disciples, an example of the North American Goshawk 

 {Astur atricapillus) labeled as a Gyrfalcon ! ; and to make the matter 

 worse, this was, we suspect, under its rightful aj)pellation a type specimen 

 of one of the best ornithological works in the English language, and ac- 

 tually the subject of a very accurate ])late therein ! ! 



